President Donald Trump holds up the "big, beautiful bill" that was signed into law as during a Fourth of July military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Brandon - Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed into law Friday evening his massive spending cut and tax break package to fulfill his domestic policy agenda on immigration and defense and overhaul American energy production.

The “big, beautiful bill,” which Trump signed on Republicans’ self-imposed Fourth of July deadline, will make permanent the 2017 tax cuts from his first term and provide billions to carry out his plans of mass deportations, an immigration crackdown and increased defense spending.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill could add $3.4 trillion to deficits over the next 10 years, according to its most recent analysis.

“America is winning, winning, winning like never before,” said Trump, speaking to military families at a Fourth of July picnic on the White House lawn prior to the bill signing. Military aircraft including a B-2 bomber flew over the White House as the national anthem was sung.

Trump saluted 150 airmen and their families at the event from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, where the B-2s that bombed Iran in June originated their flights.

But he also attacked Democrats who opposed his legislation, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who gave a speech on the floor in opposition on Wednesday that broke a House record for its length.

Members of the Cabinet were present for the bill-signing as well as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Mike Crapo of Idaho and other top GOP members of Congress.

The president signed the bill seated at a desk in front of the picnic-goers, with lawmakers and Cabinet members surrounding him. Johnson presented Trump with the gavel that Johnson said he used when the vote closed to pass the “big, beautiful bill.” Trump pounded on the desk with the gavel and handed out pens to those gathered around him.

Medicaid slashed

In order to fulfill priorities in the tax and spending cut bill, congressional Republicans scaled back spending on Medicaid, food assistance for low-income people and clean energy programs.

Democrats objected to the cuts to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and other provisions. But because Republicans have unified control of Congress, the GOP was able to pass the bill through a complex process known as reconciliation, skirting the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.

The Senate passed its version of the bill after Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking 51-50 vote Tuesday. The House managed Thursday to pass the new version of the bill after two chaotic days negotiating with far-right members who initially objected to the bill and later acquiesced, with a vote of 218-214.

The only Republicans to object in the Senate were Maine’s Susan Collins, Kentucky’s Rand Paul and North Carolina’s Thom Tillis. The House GOP members who voted with Democrats were Kentucky’s Thomas Massie and Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick.

Also tucked into the bill is a provision that raises the country’s debt ceiling by $5 trillion, which has brought objections from Republican fiscal hawks like Paul.

A B-2 Stealth Bomber performs a fly over before the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 5, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

This report has been updated.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Saturday night that the United States has attacked three nuclear sites in Iran, and all U.S. planes were outside Iran and on their way back to the United States.

“A short time ago the U.S. military carried out massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,” Trump said in brief televised remarks from the White House just after 10 p.m. Eastern.

“Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror,” he said. “Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”

Flanked by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said he hoped the strikes would be the extent of the U.S. offensive in Iran, but he warned he would authorize attacks on other targets if Iran did not end the war.

“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,” he said. “If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.”

Trump had first announced the strikes roughly two hours earlier on social media.

“All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he wrote.

Several U.S. House Democrats questioned the legality of the bombing.

“President Trump has no constitutional authority to take us to war with Iran without authorization from Congress, and Congress has not authorized it,” Don Beyer, a House Democrat from Virginia, wrote on X.

Earlier Saturday, there had been numerous reports that B-2 bombers had been sent from Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County, Missouri, and were flying across the Pacific Ocean. Department of Defense leaders said at a Sunday morning press conference that those bombers were decoys, “a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa,” said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine. “The main strike package comprised of 7 B-2 spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the east with minimal communications. “

Trump returned to the White House at about 6 p.m. Eastern on Saturday from his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., to attend a national security meeting at the White House.

The attack on the Iran sites supports a key U.S. ally, Israel, while distancing another foreign policy priority for the Trump administration, a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear development.

“I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu,” Trump said at the White House, referring to the Israeli prime minister.

Trump has repeatedly said Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

GOP backs Trump

Republican lawmakers in national security roles quickly weighed in on social media and in statements Saturday to support Trump’s decision.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in a statement: “The regime in Iran, which has committed itself to bringing ‘death to America’ and wiping Israel off the map, has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace. The mullahs’ misguided pursuit of nuclear weapons must be stopped. As we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”

“Our commander-in-chief has made a deliberate—and correct—decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime,” U.S. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., wrote on X. “We now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies and stability for the middle-east. Well-done to our military personnel. You’re the best!”

House Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican, blamed Iran for the conflict.

“As I have said multiple times recently, I regret that Iran has brought the world to this point,” he wrote on X. “That said, I am thankful President Trump understood that the red line—articulated by Presidents of both parties for decades—was real. The United States and our allies, including Israel, are making it clear that the world would never accept Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon.”

Sen. Todd Young, an Indiana Republican and member of the Senate Intelligence Committee who is not always aligned with Trump, also praised the move.

“Thank you to our brave service members who executed this mission,” he said. “The world will be safer if Iran’s nuclear capability is destroyed. I look forward to briefings in the coming days.”

Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, a libertarian who is often at odds with his party leadership, expressed his opposition in a Saturday night social media post.

“This is not Constitutional,” he wrote.

Democrats react

Immediate reaction from Democrats was mixed.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman called the move “the correct decision,” adding that “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”

But members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus raised the issue of congressional authorization and called for a vote on a privileged resolution sponsored by California Democrat Ro Khanna and Massie that would block military force against Iran.

“Donald Trump illegally took military action against Iran—without congressional authorization—risking dragging us into another endless war,” Arizona Democrat Yassamin Ansari wrote. “I am calling for an immediate emergency session of Congress to vote on the War Powers Resolution.”

“Instead of listening to the American people, Trump is listening to War Criminal Netanyahu, who lied about Iraq and is lying once again about Iran,” Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib wrote. “Congress must act immediately to exert its war powers and stop this unconstitutional act of war.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, was sharply critical.

“Donald Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. He has failed to deliver on that promise. The risk of war has now dramatically increased, and I pray for the safety of our troops in the region who have been put in harm’s way,” Jeffries said in a statement.

“President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.”

He said Congress must immediately be briefed in a classified setting.

Warning from Iran

Israel began bombing what it said were Iranian nuclear facilities last week, scuttling U.S. negotiations with Iran, which Trump repeated again Wednesday had been close.

In a statement issued through a spokesman on state-run TV Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the U.S. not to get involved.

“Any form of U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be met with irreparable harm,” the statement said, according to a BBC translation.

Prior to the announcement, congressional Republicans were generally supportive of an aggressive posture toward Iran.

Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, told reporters at the Capitol that Iran’s nuclear program was meant to threaten the United States.

“When the Ayatollah chants ‘Death to America,’ I believe him,” Cruz said, referring to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “So does President Trump, and that’s why, as commander-in chief, he is acting decisively to keep America safe.”

The potential of a nuclear Iran has animated U.S. policy debates about the region for more than a decade.

In his first term, Trump withdrew from a deal negotiated by former President Barack Obama’s administration that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limiting its nuclear development.

Iran and Hamas

Iran and Israel have not had diplomatic relations since the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and each has been a primary antagonist in the other’s foreign policy.

Israel has long prioritized denying Iran a nuclear weapon. Iran has funded Hamas, the militant group that launched the October 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, and Hezbollah, a militant group in Lebanon.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst raised Iran’s support for Hamas at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, using it as a rationale for U.S. involvement in the region.

“Who is the primary funder of Hamas?” the Iowa Republican asked Hegseth.

Hegseth answered Iran.

“Forty-three Americans lost their lives on Oct. 7 at the hands of Hamas,” Ernst continued. “So when there is a question about whether it’s appropriate for America to be engaged in the Middle East, in defending Americans that live and work abroad, I think there’s our answer.”

Jennifer Shutt contributed to this report.

President Joe Biden delivers his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mandel Ngan - Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with “a more aggressive form” of prostate cancer, according to a statement from his office on Sunday.

The statement said Biden, 82, last week was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” the statement said.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” it continued. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

The New York Times had reported on May 12 that a few days earlier, a “small nodule” was discovered on Biden’s prostate that required “further evaluation,” according to a spokesman.

According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is slow-growing, the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States and the most common cancer.

‘Joe is a fighter’

Statements of support immediately began pouring in on Sunday as word spread of the diagnosis.

“Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis,” his former vice president and the 2024 Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, said on X. “We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” President Donald Trump wrote on social media. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat who was the party’s vice presidential candidate after Biden dropped out of the race and  Harris took his place at the top of the ticket, said on X that Biden was “a truly decent man and a friend.”

“Gwen and I are praying for President Biden and his family,” he wrote.

“I am saddened to hear of President Biden’s cancer diagnosis and am wishing him and his family well as he begins treatment,” Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins wrote on X.

Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor who served as Biden’s Transportation secretary after running against Biden, Harris and others in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, said Biden “is a man of deep faith and extraordinary resilience.”

“Chasten and I are keeping him, and the entire Biden family, in our prayers for strength and healing,” Buttigieg wrote on X.

“Joe has been a fighter his whole life. He will prevail. Sending Dr. Jill Biden and their family my absolute support,” Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania posted on X.

“This is very sad news. Praying for his recovery,” GOP Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said on X. “We are rooting for President Biden in this fight!” former Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz wrote, reposting Luna’s post.

Age a factor in presidential race

Biden’s doctors said he was fit and healthy enough to be president after evaluations in February, 2024.

“President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency,” Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor wrote.

But by that summer, Biden’s deteriorating state  — though not connected to the diagnosis disclosed Sunday — would force him out of his reelection bid.

Biden dropped out of the race for the presidency on July 21, 2024, creating an unprecedented vacancy atop the Democratic ticket one month before he was scheduled to officially accept his party’s nomination. He endorsed Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee, and she was nominated by Democrats but lost the election to Trump.

Biden’s withdrawal came after a weeks-long pressure campaign from party insiders following a disastrous June 27, 2024, debate performance against GOP candidate Trump and rising criticism that he could not mount a winning campaign against the man he had defeated in 2020. Biden appeared frail and confused at several points during the debate, leading to worries he was no longer up to the task of governing.

After leaving the White House on Jan. 20, Biden kept a low profile and did not make public remarks until April 15, when he criticized the current administration for cutting thousands of employees at the Social Security Administration and rebutted those who have questioned the program’s relevance.

“In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction. It’s kind of breathtaking it could happen that soon,” Biden said. “They’ve taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration, pushing 7,000 employees — 7,000 — out the door in that time, including the most seasoned career officials.”

Book publication

In more recent days, the publication of a book by two political reporters, CNN’s Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson of Axios, sparked controversy by its claims that those in Biden’s inner circle worked to keep his cognitive decline from public view.

Titled “Original Sin,” the book — based on interviews with what the authors said were more than 200 people, mostly Democratic insiders —  included new details about the presidency, such as Biden apparently failing to recognize movie star George Clooney at a fundraiser in June 2024 in Los Angeles. Biden’s decline was such in 2023 and 2024 that use of a wheelchair was discussed, if he was reelected, the book reported.

Just Friday, the White House released audio of an interview of Biden by Department of Justice special counsel Robert Hur who issued a lengthy report concluding that while President Joe Biden “willfully retained” classified materials following his time as vice president, he would not be charged with a crime.

Hur wrote in the 388-page February 2024 report that prosecutors considered “that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”

Jacob Fischler contributed to this report.